In the pregame tonight, with Rick being asked if Maceo will start again, he states the following:

"It depends on who THEY start. We're going to mix-and-match depending on what THEY do."

Um...whatever happened to imposing your OWN will on the game, and making the opponent adjust to what YOU do?

See, that's a big part of our problem. We're constantly trying to beat other teams at their own game, instead of having a gameplan of our own. We're going to start the game not knowing what to even do out there. No wonder we almost always get off to a slow start.

Trader Joe

12-09-2006, 07:22 PM

When you are playing someone with a guy like Lebron you kind of have to do it at least to start the game IMO. However I would agree this is one of the more frustrating things about Rick is his adjustments. However he nailed em last night against Portland.

maragin

12-09-2006, 07:34 PM

This sounds like a perfectly reasonable thing for a coach to say. Bill Belichick is doing this kind of stuff all the time, not tipping his hand.

Not letting the opposition know what is coming is a very sound tactic, and I praise a coach that understands that.

Shade

12-09-2006, 08:04 PM

Down by 15 after the 1st quarter. That's what happens when you come into a game blind.

maragin

12-09-2006, 08:07 PM

I'm sure telling them that we were going to start Saras would have changed all of that. You're right.

#31

12-09-2006, 08:31 PM

Exactly!!! I hate that strategy, the Rick Carlisle strategy... or as i call it "The strategy of no strategy". He always customizes the Plays after the Opposing teams Plays, then he customizes the players which he thinks will be the best against the opposing starting grid and then he sees what he needs to change and when its Half Time he customizes the strategy after what he thinks is the best so that the team can be effective the next Half of the game... at that time the Pacers are probably down by 20 and work up their way very slowly and then lose. I really hate his coaching! He is just falling into the Trap, he just doing what the Opposing Teams want you to do! PLAY their way, their best way... and then you lose! Its stupid.

Unclebuck

12-09-2006, 10:12 PM

Shade, in theory I agree with you, but in order to make a team matchup with you, you have to have the players that cause problems that will force the opponent to match up with you.

Wow that is poorly worded.

But starting Baston instead of Saras does not change what the Cavs will do at all - they won't even consider doing anything different. So in the game tonight it didn't make any difference - now Lebron James is a guy that forces your opponent to adjust - if we had him

Destined4Greatness

12-09-2006, 10:19 PM

Rick can't impose his will on a team simply because, he never knows who he is going to have.

It pisses me off to no end, how everybdoy wants to give JO a foruth shot IIRC. Give rick ONE ONE more season where a player doesn't go psychotic, or his entire starting lineup isn't hurt. Because the last time that happened we won 61 games.

Kegboy

12-09-2006, 10:20 PM

I think you guys are missing the point. I'm sure Rick saw they were starting Gibson and thought, "Oh, gee, we have to match small with small", where I would have said, "Let's go big and post up Gibson every chance we get."

Unclebuck

12-09-2006, 10:25 PM

I think you guys are missing the point. I'm sure Rick saw they were starting Gibson and thought, "Oh, gee, we have to match small with small", where I would have said, "Let's go big and post up Gibson every chance we get."

Saras is not matching up with anyone defensively, so that can't be it

Shack80

12-09-2006, 11:44 PM

Rick can't impose his will on a team simply because, he never knows who he is going to have.

It pisses me off to no end, how everybdoy wants to give JO a foruth shot IIRC. Give rick ONE ONE more season where a player doesn't go psychotic, or his entire starting lineup isn't hurt. Because the last time that happened we won 61 games.

Lots o truth there. Rick has neve had even close to the team he started with. Looks like the trend will continue. Jack playing Artests role and JO whinning about his role and now injured, Nice place to be a coach. I am feel bad for Rick, he should have said f no to a contract extension and gone somewhere sane.

Sarunas Jasikevicius got his first start of the season, marking the Pacers' eighth starting combination, as Carlisle tried to match up with Cleveland's small lineup.

:banghead:

Naptown_Seth

12-10-2006, 07:46 PM

I think you guys are missing the point. I'm sure Rick saw they were starting Gibson and thought, "Oh, gee, we have to match small with small", where I would have said, "Let's go big and post up Gibson every chance we get."
Still haven't seen the game, but I was much happier with the thought of Jack-Granger facing James-Gibson, and even mentioned that Saras was a bad start at SG IMO. That was due to switching fears where they could attack Saras.

I agreed with Jack on James rather than Al or Granger, but I would really like to have seen Granger able to help more by overmatching Gibson and then either Jack or Danny always able to post and attack Gibson.

After the Colts game I haven't been in the mood to see the Pacers drubbing just yet. :(

Sarunas Jasikevicius got his first start of the season, marking the Pacers' eighth starting combination, as Carlisle tried to match up with Cleveland's small lineup.

Yes, and the star would be wrong. I guarantee Saras was not put into the starting lineup so he could defend the Cavs guards or because he matches up well with the Cavs guards. Probably Rick started him because it worked very well in the second half of the Blazers game. So you could argue that Rick was making the Cavs try and match up with us.

The Star is wrong

Kegboy

12-10-2006, 08:33 PM

Yes, and the star would be wrong. I guarantee Saras was not put into the starting lineup so he could defend the Cavs guards or because he matches up well with the Cavs guards. Probably Rick started him because it worked very well in the second half of the Blazers game. So you could argue that Rick was making the Cavs try and match up with us.

The Star is wrong

You're absolutely right. It should have said:

Sarunas Jasikevicius got his first start of the season, marking the Pacers' eighth starting combination, as Carlisle tried to match down to Cleveland's small lineup.

Unclebuck

12-10-2006, 08:36 PM

You're absolutely right. It should have said:

Sarunas Jasikevicius got his first start of the season, marking the Pacers' eighth starting combination, as Carlisle tried to match down to Cleveland's small lineup.

Well, that would be wrong also.

Naptown_Seth

12-11-2006, 01:20 AM

Well, that would be wrong also.
Agree. Sorry Kegboy, but there are other "small" lineups that Rick could have used if his point was to deal with CLE rather than make the team run better. Buck is onto something with the "they ended well, let's keep doing that" view.

It hasn't helped that Danny and Quis have both been struggling to fit in the flow. Danny has made some great individual plays, but he's still pretty lost out there much of the time. Not quite sure what has Quis on the fade lately, but he has been.

Probably just as simple as "what's been good for us", which bottom line is basically making the other team match with them.